The Tale of the Easter Bunny
by JV ft Marauders
Summary: A young girl wakes up to discover her hamster can speak, and they go on a adventure to find the Easter Bunny as a result.
1. Chapter 1

**Part 1: A Hamster tells a tale…**

Once upon a time there was a girl named Jenny who had a hamster that was fat and squishy, soft and reddish-brown. She loved it with all her heart so she named the hamster Teddy for its cuddly-teddy-bear resemblance. She loved the hamster so much so she fed it every day of the year, through the bars of its rainbow-colored cage.

One night, she had a dream that Teddy spoke to her while she fed it hay.

Teddy said, mid-chew through a particularly tasty piece of hay,

"Hey Jenny, have you ever met the Easter bunny?"

Jenny was so startled her eyes bulged out of her head and her whole body went as taut as a tightrope. It was the first time she heard her hamster talk, but the surprise quickly wore off and was replaced with unmasked glee.

"No, I haven't. What's he like?" she asked curiously.

"He is actually a she. I've only ever met her once before, at a party in a squirrel's house. Don't ask why, because I managed to sneak out when you weren't looking, but when I got there-this crazy white rabbit was babbling on and on about chocolate eggs…"

"'She said, "Chocolate eggs are so delicious! They're a lot like real eggs with the yolk and all that, but the shells have these pretty little designs and the inside is just molten love in the shape of an oval instead of a heart." I had no idea what the heck she was going on about until I found out she was THE Easter bunny, so I went up and tried to shake her hand, you know, good manners and all, and instead she kissed me!"

"The Easter bunny, right on my whiskers. I blushed all the way down to my tail, and the whole room laughed at me. But she was sweet as a button, that bunny, her name's actually Clara, and she apologized right after for making me so embarrassed; I didn't mind you know-"

"She sounds just dreammmyy…" Jenny interrupted. Teddy frowned, and snatched another piece of hay to nibble on and continued.

"Yes, yes, yes, so anyways she apologized and I said, 'it's alright ma'am, just surprised, that's all' and she giggled and went right on talking as if I had never approached her in the first place! I was a little ticked off about that, yeah, but the things she talked about made you get this glazed look on your eyes-"

"She told us about all the past Easters where she would hide these eggs filled with treats and the kids would run about all excited," Teddy paused to take another hearty bite, settling her paw on her bulging belly.

"She told us about the places where she hid the eggs so the kids would take ages to find them, and the close-calls where she almost got discovered with a basket full to the brim with painted eggs. Everyone in the room listening to her stories were fascinated, me included, but it got REAL interesting when she started talking about her land back home, Easterworld."

"'Easterworld is like a fairytale,'" She started, a bright fire in her eyes, "' There's rolling hills of green, lush forests full of singing birds and gurgling brooks and soft breezes. There are fields of every kind of flower you can ever imagine and the castles, oh the castles'" She held her breath, as if holding in a gasp "'are like the sparkling fortresses in a princess's tale. They're filled with eggs, glorious wondrous chocolate eggs of every size and shape and taste, that my people gather and decorate in preparation for Easter. The birds help weave the baskets and every spring Easterworld is humming with energy and the land is painted soft pinks and yellow, bright green and baby blue.'"

Jenny seemed entranced by the description, steadily losing herself to the sound of her hamster's voice.

"'But the real magic is where the eggs come from. No, not from thin air, or from just any old chicken, but GIANT chickens, the size of kitchen tables, that sit in their giant chicken nests and just lay chocolate eggs, from god knows where, since roosters don't exist in Easterworld, but anyhow one day I walk into a castle and there are bunnies and chickens milling about bored out of their minds, I don't blame them, since it was Halloween time and no one's working come Halloween, when suddenly there's news someone's found a golden egg, not just a golden looking egg but a PURE GOLD egg, no filling, and I've got to see this! I go to the bunny who found it and ask him where he found it, and he just replies-"

"Wait, shush, just hold on a minute…" Jenny seemed startled out of her trance and slowly turned to look at Teddy with furious eyes.

"Teddy, I haven't told you this yet, since I've only JUST KNOWN you could talk and understand me and you haven't taken a single breath between sentences, and frankly I have so much to ask you, but you honestly babble way too much, and really, of all the things you talk about, its about the EASTER BUNNY? Of all those times when I WAS talking to you and you never replied, you didn't think THAT would have been the right time to respond with an interesting story like this?" Jenny seemed ready to explode with frustration.

"All this time, and I thought you were just a normal hamster with a normal brain capacity, and yes, occasionally I would look into your eyes and see some sliver of something human while you stuffed your cheeks with food and I knew that if you could talk with me, you would, but what changed? Why now?" Jenny's face drooped as she processed all the times that the hamster remained mute to her conversation starters.

Teddy had stopped, the small pile of hay that diminished with every word that spilled out of her mouth nearly gone, its ears were perked attentively forward. The beady black eyes stilled, and focussed on Jenny's face, and a yellow toothed grin lit up on the hamster's face.

"Wanna go on an adventure?" the hamster asked in a low voice.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2: The Adventure Begins…**

Jenny looked at the hamster with a blank face of exasperation.

"WHAT?"

"An adventure. Didn't you hear me?"

"Of course I heard you, but you didn't answer my question!"

"Oh, boring. There will be time for Q & A later but now let's get on with it, are you coming or not?"

Jenny told herself to add "sassy" to the list of descriptive words for her hamster.

"Yeah, sure, why not."

"Great; I just have to check up on how Miss Clara is doing and if she'll agree, and then we're off to Easterworld!"

"Whoa...not so fast! She'll agree to us going into her world? Have you ever done this before? Why are we doing this? Is it even allowed? Is this even possible? Will we die? How'll-"

"You ask too many questions Jenny." Teddy scolded, and promptly waddled to her sleeping area to whip out a tiny device that looked suspiciously like a phone.

"I have her on speed-dial."

"You little-"

"Nah-ah-ah, I'm busy making a phone call, be polite and shush for one second will you?"

Jenny fumed; of all the times she could be having a nice conversation with her pet hamster, she had to choose now. In addition, her hamster was being difficult and had a mini cell phone hidden in her bedding. She'll have to find punishment for this some other time.

"Hello? It's Teddy, yes, yes, oh Clara! How are youuuuu~~? Good, oh wonderful, that's splendid..I'm fine thanks for asking...say, you don't mind if Jenny and I drop off at your place for a second do you? It'll only take a few minutes, just want to show her around...oh no problem, she'll love to meet you! Right Jenny?...She's a darling...Well that's settled then! We'll meet in, say, 12 minutes? You know how I am with time Clara, always late…hahaha, yes, yes…alright, it was nice talking to you! Alright take care Clara! Bye~~!"

Jenny glared from her spot in front of the cage.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. How are we supposed to travel to an imaginary world while you are stuck in a cage and I'm probably 5 feet taller than everything else."

"Aren't you a little spoilsport? Of course theres a way over there, I'm not making this up you know! Here, I need you to hold me while I phone-"

"OH NO, YOU ARE NOT MAKING ANOTHER PHONE CALL WHILE I'M SITTING HERE FEELING LIKE AN IDIOT…"

"You are an idiot."

Jenny opened the cage door and made a mad grab for the insufferable rodent, only to have her forefinger almost bitten clean off.

Teddy grinned apologetically.

"I'm just kidding, you know. I love you. Here, I'm sorry. Can we please just hurry up? Clara is waiting and I did say 12 minutes."

Jenny sighed through her nose and let the fat little hamster scurry up her arm to her shoulder where she dialled another number into the device.

"Who are you calling?" Jenny asked nervously.

"It's not WHO I'm calling...but WHERE…"

Suddenly, the room began to spin and warp out of proportion. It was like in those sci-fi films where a spaceship was sucked into a black hole, or if someone was to be flushed down a toilet.

Whirling, around and around, sucked into a vortex.

And spat out the other side.

For a minute, Jenny could only blink the dizziness out of her eyes. The world was spinning so fast she didn't know what was what, until it suddenly stopped and she found herself in a dark, dirt tunnel; underground.

She coughed, and dust circled the space around her. Teddy made a squeaking noise to her right; she was fine. Blinking rapidly a few more times, she noticed there were holes leading to the world above judging from the rays of sunlight peeking through, and she sat up a little too quickly for her own good. Her stomach made a disagreeable noise and she felt bile rising in her throat.

"We are never doing that again." Jenny croaked.

"Well, we are going to have to go back you know." Teddy reminded cheerfully, seemingly unaffected by the travel experience.

She groaned. Jenny was definitely getting her hamster back for this, no matter how much she loved her; and she loved Teddy dearly.

"So where to?"

"Come on, we're going upstairs. Already late, thanks to you."

"Well I-"

Teddy was already up and scurrying out of the tunnel. Jenny crawled close behind, the sunlight becoming more and more excruciating with every inch out of the tunnel-then, she gasped.

It was beautiful, it really was. Easterworld glimmered and shined like a polished diamond, exploding with a hundred different colors and scents and sounds and the most hypnotizing feeling of happiness and wonder that made you feel like a child again. Jenny was so thrown by her surroundings that she just gaped, rotating her head around as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Hey, Starstruck, want to meet the Easter bunny? Look down." Teddy whispered in her ear.

Jenny's head snapped down so fast Teddy had to hop down with a yelp to prevent getting thrown off. Below her stood a pure white bunny with deep brown eyes that made your bones feel like honey, and she stood on her two strong hind legs with her front legs crossed over her chest.

The Easter bunny.

She wasn't anything like Jenny expected she'd be. She tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for her to talk, when all Jenny could do was look at how unusually human the bunny was, from the way she carried herself, ears falling flat against her head, to her eyes that were like a mother's hug, caressing and comforting, to her deep, velvety voice like an angel's harp.

"Hello? Helllooooo~~?" She prodded Jenny's foot with her nose. That tickled, effectively snapping her out of the trance.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Eh… I'm Jenny, Teddy's er…owner, person..I'm really sorry, it's just this place is so-you are so-"

"Magical? Well hello there. Didn't start off on the right footing did we? Good pun on my part, but anyways- I'm the Easter bunny, casually known as Clara around here. Don't be spreading the name around there though, its very top secret." She winked and reached out a paw, which Jenny hesitantly shook.

"Right...well hi then. Teddy wanted to show me around?"

During the exchange, Teddy had found a nice patch of grass and started to hoard as much of it as she could in her cheeks. Typical.

"Uaohyusweartakingator!" The hamster managed through a mouthful of grass.

"I think he means we're taking a tour."

Clara, the Easter bunny, laughed lightheartedly, and it sounded like wind chimes on a summer's day.

"Well go on then. Easterworld is free to your explorations. Just be back by 8, it gets creepy around here when the sun goes down, something about rabid bunnies, but those are just rumors.." She turned, humming a little tune, and disappeared into the clearing.

Jenny was left with an odd sensation in her chest, like going to a party to have the most amazing time of your life but ending up standing in the corner like an idiot anyways. The feeling was a little too close to home.

"You alright there? You look a little-queasy." Teddy sounded worried. "The world-jumping didn't ACTUALLY affect you this much did it?"

"No, I'm fine. Let's get going, or else we won't have time to get back. Right now its...noon. I'm not really up for lunch, and I think you just had your share, so want to just walk? Let's start in the forest," Jenny pointed to her left, where halfway down the grassy path they were on was the outline of a lush forest and a mountain. "And we need to talk anyways, in private, because you owe me some answers." With that she took off, leaving Teddy confused to follow in her lead.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3: Looking for the Golden Egg…**

They walked in silence for a few minutes, stewing in the mixed emotions of earlier that day, when finally Teddy spoke up.

"I didn't mean to...I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, if that was what I did, or am doing, so if you'd just forgive me and let me explain," Teddy spoke quietly.

Jenny waved the notion away, "You didn't do anything like that. I guess I felt like an afterthought when you started talking about the Easter bunny, even though I've had you for at least 2 years, but I knew you had good intentions all along. Maybe you didn't want to scare me or get my hopes up when you finally spoke. You wanted to talk at the right time, at the right moment, when you knew I was ready to listen. So here I am-walking in a seemingly real world, talking to my hamster, and in serious need of a map."

The hamster chuckled, and from its bulging cheeks came a tiny rolled up piece of paper, damp with hamster spit and torn at the edges.

"Well thats gross."

"You did say you needed a map."

The hamster unrolled the tiny piece of paper and Jenny helped hold it up so the hamster could see.

Not before putting on a pair of spectacles also extracted from the cheek pouch.

"Ew, if you needed a hamster pack, you could've just told me and I would've bought it for you and for God's sake you got a hamster phone for crying out loud and..AND I didn't know you wore glasses!" Jenny exclaimed.

"You should know better. Hamsters are color-blind, and it does help to read small print when I can actually SEE small print. I also guess it runs in the family." Teddy pointedly ignored the rest of her sentence and looked at Jenny.

Wrinkling her nose, she huffed. "I need glasses because I purposely stay on electronic devices too long, and not because it runs in the family. At least I hope not." She did not want to have children who needed glasses too.

"Anyways, it says here on the map that we're slightly west of our desired path, if we were heading toward the mountain; called Mount Eglantine, frankly atrocious name if you ask me, and ohhh...but it also says here we just left the Field of Good Wishes and if we went back the way we came and kept going backwards we'd have ended up in one of those castles that Clara would've wanted us to see, now we have to go back…"

"Hold up, what castle? The ones you were talking about? The giant chicken palaces? What's so special-"

Teddy rolled her eyes and continued talking: "Yes, those GIANT CHICKEN PALACES as you so eloquently named them, hold a special secret that I was going to talk about earlier if you hadn't simply interrupted me with your-"

"OHHHHH! The golden egg right?" Squinting with all her might, Jenny suddenly smiled.

"Oh, well if we continue down this path, just west of the mountain, there's a fork that leads off to a waterfall, and right there there's a castle too! Rockwell Castle. There's bound to be some giant chickens there and maybe a tour guide or two and we can just.."

Teddy, exasperated, interrupted angrily. "Will you ever let me finish a sentence?! You're right, there is a castle there we could go to, but no one would go because if you'd look, there's a little note in fine print saying that Rockwell Castle has been abandoned for ages for reasons unknown. Definitely spells out D-A-N-G-E-R and D-E-A-T-H and E-V-I-L if you ask me, so why don't we just head back where we came from?"

For a minute, they were still. Jenny finally sighed, "No. We're going my way because 1.) You still owe me for making me so sick I thought I was gonna hurl in a darkened tunnel and 2.) For Christ's sake, who listens to the fine print, there's a reason it's in fine print; so that people don't read it, and most importantly, you were the one who said 'adventure' in the first place so heck, WE'RE GOING ON AN ADVENTURE BECAUSE YOU SAID SO." She stalked away, head held high. Teddy stood, ears perked, stunned into silence. Before a grin plastered itself on her face.

"Wait up!"

Slowing to a stop, Jenny smiled. "You know I'm right. Even if we are in danger, it's Easterworld, where everything is sunny and good-so it can't be that bad right?"

Teddy wasn't so sure, "You said it yourself in a fit of nerves: Will we die?" The hamster's voice went shrill to imitate Jenny's voice.

"You know I hate my voice, and that was never answered because honestly what kind of a stupid question was that, 'will we die'. Of course we won't..." Jenny's voice took on a self-deprecating and mocking tone, though the wobble of uncertainty was still present.

They were plunged back into silence, almost as quickly as they arrived at the waterfall, it's foamy mist swirling in a rush all around them as the gurgle of a nearby river bombarded their eardrums.

"So just a practical question: say, some giant evil chicken comes to peck our guts out, or a herd of rabid bunnies wants to sink their teeth into our flesh, how do we intend to defend ourselves?" Teddy inquired nervously, her ears flattening against her head.

"We have two options: 1.) Grab a stick or a rock and aim or 2.) Run for our lives. I think the chances of survival for number 2 seem rather good, but ideally, 1 and 2 together might just save our lives." Jenny chuckled herself but the joke seemed lost on Teddy.

"Seriously speaking though, we should separate and distract the enemy with something while the other one escapes. I love you Teddy, but I do manage to be more important to you back home, so you're going to have to sacrifice yourself. And in the case I'm the one in serious danger…" Jenny trailed off, a sort of sad look on her face, "Well, let's just hope I can hold my own against some feisty bunnies and chickens, shall we?"

Filled with grim determination, the two finally stepped foot onto the cobblestone path leading to the castle. It looked harmless enough, since daylight was still out, but at night, the two shivered collectively at what would look like a terrible place to stage a sleepover at if you were ever stuck inside.

"Rockwell Castle. You know we really should've just gone back...and we still can, since we have like 7 hours left…"

"I'm starving. Aren't you starving? Come on, maybe there's some food in there!" Jenny spoke a little too cheerfully, more for herself than for Teddy's reassurance.

They ventured timidly forward, afraid at any moment danger would strike. The door was left ajar, so they let themselves in. The inside was large and spacious, much like the inside of a Victorian mansion rather than a castle. Weirdly enough, when entering what seemed like the kitchen area, a refrigerator with a note stating simply "RESTOCK" in bold, red sharpie stood before them.

"That's rather...odd. Seems like a trap to me." Teddy sniffed at the fridge, looking for any signs of ill intent. "But it's clean and it smells good inside...definitely cheese and jam, maybe even some ham."

Jenny opened it and sure enough, the fridge was well-stocked with all the workings of a scrumptious meal. Tomatoes, fresh, and also some yogurt sat next to a unopened six pack of cola and salad dressing. With a bowl of salad neatly tucked away. She closed the fridge, deep in thought, before sharply nodding and instead looked in one of the top cabinets to find it fully stocked with unexpired foods-peas, corn, carrots, etc.

"Definitely strange, but I'm going to the canned stuff just to be safe. Toast and canned food. Marvelous. Is there a can opener around here?" She hunted through the drawers, but they all came up empty.

Save for one.

At first, Jenny thought she must have but hallucinating, but if that was true then the past few hours must've been a dream too, judging from all the ridiculousness, and frankly, she was beginning to think she was most likely dead or in a coma.

Inside was filled…with golden eggs.

Golden.

Eggs.

Jenny stared, and finally closed the drawer, willing herself to look away even as Teddy stared into the empty space where the open drawer was seconds ago and was stunned out of her wits.

"Not just one...but a drawer filled with golden eggs. A rather large drawer, with rather large eggs, filled with rather expensive gold, that would get us RATHER RICH RATHER FAST…"

"Teddy, I know where you're going with this but it's not worth it. You're right; it's a trap, for us, definitely, and god, all wanted was a can opener!"

The sound reverberated through the kitchen and suddenly a cluck as loud as a crack of thunder answered back. The sound was so terrifying Jenny screamed and in turn Teddy squeaked multiple times in distress.

"What in the-"

Clattering into the kitchen came a huge feathery bird that flapped and clucked excitedly before sitting down in front of the two stunned victims, leaving a trail of golden eggs behind..

A giant chicken with gold-dusted feathers.

Jenny watched warily as the chicken cocked her head side to side, its beady black eyes watching back intently. In the bird's beak was a can-opener.

"Brilliant. Now hand it over." Jenny warned the chicken.

The can-opener clattered to the floor and was pushed across the floor into Jenny's hand. Smiling, she opened a can of corn and pushed it back to the chicken the same way, which the chicken happily ate.

"So now what?" Teddy asked, dumbstruck.

"We eat, then we're leaving. Something tells me someone is following us, and it's not someone good. By the way, I'm officially naming the chicken Bob. I don't care if it's a girl. I've always wanted a chicken named Bob."

Teddy squealed with laughter and hurried to introduce herself to the chicken. Apparently they could understand each other, because Teddy nodded along as the chicken clucked conversationally. While they talked, Jenny prepared toast and

"What is she saying?"

Teddy looked sad and began his translation for the poor chicken, "She says she's been stuck here for ages, ever since this castle has been closed down for demolition. The Easter bunny has been planning a mass reconstruction of Easterworld so that it can churn out more goodies, similar to "industrialization". Many of the giant chickens were slaughtered after the Bunny found out how to man-make eggs more quickly, and didn't see the use of the chickens unless it was to take up space. The saddest thing is that Bessie here, saw her entire family slaughtered, and she was kept here to spend the last of her days, alone, because she couldn't die. She's the last of the 'Golden Egg Bearers' of lore who helped bring prosperity and peace to the ancient Easterworld before the Bunny began running things here. After Clara found about Bessie's abilities and the abilities of her kin, she began forcing the chickens into exile and beginning her own raid of the riches that Bessie's people could bestow."

Teddy's ears fell, "I never knew Clara was killing fellow animals. I just thought she was developing Easterworld so it could keep up with modern demand, but MURDER-" Teddy's eyes ignited in anger, "MURDER is unacceptable. I don't think we can stay here any longer Jenny. We have to go and talk to Clara. She'll make this right, WE'LL make this right, and then we're leaving. I'm tired and absolutely done with Easter from now on."

Jenny was never good with words-she had so much to say about this, so much to express (anger, sadness, confusion, helplessness) but instead she asked:

"Is Bob coming? You didn't eat anything Teddy."

The chicken and the hamster looked at Jenny with wide eyes.

"Of course I'm coming, and my name's not Bob!" The golden chicken roared.

"I just ate not 2 hours ago! We're running out of time!" Teddy spat in frustration.

"Sorry, sorry, no need to yell, just a simple question, and where are we going to meet with Clara?"

Teddy put on a grim face.

"The Tree of Hope-also known as the domain of the Easter bunny."


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4: Setting things right isn't so easy when the Easter bunny is evil...**

Let it be known that 'Golden Egg Bearers' can travel fast.

Really, really fast.

In no time at all, riding on Bob's back ("Bessie, not Bob!" -Bessie/Bob) Jenny and Teddy were able to arrived at the Tree of Hope in just 15 minutes, in what would've taken at least 45 minutes to get to on foot.

Let it also be known that the Tree of Hope was huge. As big as a skyscraper, the canopy almost reaching into the clouds. The entrance to the Tree was shaped like an archway and guarded by these cute poisonous mushrooms that released deadly spore darts when an intruder approached. How Jenny knew that, she had no clue.

"We have to find another way in," she whispered to Teddy. Bob was sitting in a shadowy bush and managed not to look so out of place. This was like one of those Bond film break-ins, although Jenny had no experience in break-ins to begin with.

"We'll have to take the tree by climbing. There's no other way in without getting hit by a thousand mushroom spores." Teddy looked downright murderous at the moment, so Jenny couldn't argue.

As they steadily made their way up the tree, a weird noise was growing louder and louder by the minute. A storm was brewing, as large dark clouds left the tree in shadows. The wind started picking up, too.

"Why hellooo there~~" A velvety warm voice called out from above them. From an opening in the trunk popped a soft white head with amused eyes. The Easter bunny.

"WE NEED TO TALK." Teddy roared over the whistling of the wind, now tossing leaves and branches around every which way.

"As if I don't know that already. I am, after all, the leader of this world, and I know everything about everything that happens in this realm. What would happen to Easter if the Easter bunny disappeared? Nothing, because I am Easter." Clara gloated, her voice becoming increasingly shrill and annoying and she went on. She cleared her throat.

"So it was you who set that trap for us? The food in the fridge? It was poisonous wasn't it? So that we'd die before meeting the one remaining witness to your murderous rampage across Easterworld?" Jenny bit the words out through her teeth, offended that such a cute little bunny was capable of such petty things as power.

"If you think you can make me repent for mass-murdering all those stupid chickens; I'll repent! 'I'm so TERRIBLY sorry darling, I never wanted to kill ANYONE, I just needed to expand our trade-and that required some...necessary evil in the process.' See? All done. No harm." Thunder roared in the distance and the Easter bunny chuckled lightly, checking out her nails.

"You are absolutely INSANE."

Jenny hissed through her teeth. She had finally reached the branch where the bunny's head was propped on.

"You think you can just apologize for killing animals just because you needed to clear the way for mass-producing stupid eggs for Easter? Then you can just step down from whatever high horse you've put yourself on and leave Easterworld, because you've ruined everything!" Jenny made to reach for the bunny when all of a sudden the cute poisonous mushrooms sprang from the trunk of the tree and pointed themselves at Jenny's face.

"I wouldn't move if I were you. Threatening my life in my realm is a deadly crime, and you're about to face the consequences-you, and your obese hamster and that depressing gold bird you call Bob, am I right? Now, if you'd so kindly give yourself up, we can be done here." One of Clara's ears flicked and the mushrooms armed themselves.

Jenny looked down at what would probably be the last time she'd see the light of day. Teddy was clinging from a branch by only a paw, a look of petrified horror painted clearly on it's furry face, and right below them was Bob, being corner by more cute poisonous mushrooms. Was everything cute in this world evil? A double-edged sword.

A double-edged sword.

THAT'S IT!

"Alright, go on, kill us. As you said, I do have to pay the consequences." Jenny spoke nonchalantly.

Clara, the "Easter bunny" looked mild surprised. "I didn't think you want to surrender that easily. Might I ask what changed your mind?"

Jenny, now that she was thinking about it, was surprised she hadn't realized sooner. What with a talking hamster, world-jumping, the Easter bunny, and golden chickens-there was only one possible answer to this madness.

She was dreaming.

Let it be known that 'Golden Egg Bearers' can travel fast.

Really, really fast.

In no time at all, riding on Bob's back ("Bessie, not Bob!" -Bessie/Bob) Jenny and Teddy were able to arrived at the Tree of Hope in just 15 minutes, in what would've taken at least 45 minutes to get to on foot.

Let it also be known that the Tree of Hope was huge. As big as a skyscraper, the canopy almost reaching into the clouds. The entrance to the Tree was shaped like an archway and guarded by these cute poisonous mushrooms that released deadly spore darts when an intruder approached. How Jenny knew that, she had no clue.

"We have to find another way in," she whispered to Teddy. Bob was sitting in a shadowy bush and managed not to look so out of place. This was like one of those Bond film break-ins, although Jenny had no experience in break-ins to begin with.

"We'll have to take the tree by climbing. There's no other way in without getting hit by a thousand mushroom spores." Teddy looked downright murderous at the moment, so Jenny couldn't argue.

As they steadily made their way up the tree, a weird noise was growing louder and louder by the minute. A storm was brewing, as large dark clouds left the tree in shadows. The wind started picking up, too.

"Why hellooo there~~" A velvety warm voice called out from above them. From an opening in the trunk popped a soft white head with amused eyes. The Easter bunny.

"WE NEED TO TALK." Teddy roared over the whistling of the wind, now tossing leaves and branches around every which way.

"As if I don't know that already. I am, after all, the leader of this world, and I know everything about everything that happens in this realm. What would happen to Easter if the Easter bunny disappeared? Nothing, because I am Easter." Clara gloated, her voice becoming increasingly shrill and annoying and she went on. She cleared her throat.

"So it was you who set that trap for us? The food in the fridge? It was poisonous wasn't it? So that we'd die before meeting the one remaining witness to your murderous rampage across Easterworld?" Jenny bit the words out through her teeth, offended that such a cute little bunny was capable of such petty things as power.

"If you think you can make me repent for mass-murdering all those stupid chickens; I'll repent! 'I'm so TERRIBLY sorry darling, I never wanted to kill ANYONE, I just needed to expand our trade-and that required some...necessary evil in the process.' See? All done. No harm." Thunder roared in the distance and the Easter bunny chuckled lightly, checking out her nails.

"You are absolutely INSANE."

Jenny hissed through her teeth. She had finally reached the branch where the bunny's head was propped on.

"You think you can just apologize for killing animals just because you needed to clear the way for mass-producing stupid eggs for Easter? Then you can just step down from whatever high horse you've put yourself on and leave Easterworld, because you've ruined everything!" Jenny made to reach for the bunny when all of a sudden the cute poisonous mushrooms sprang from the trunk of the tree and pointed themselves at Jenny's face.

"I wouldn't move if I were you. Threatening my life in my realm is a deadly crime, and you're about to face the consequences-you, and your obese hamster and that depressing gold bird you call Bob, am I right? Now, if you'd so kindly give yourself up, we can be done here." One of Clara's ears flicked and the mushrooms armed themselves.

Jenny looked down at what would probably be the last time she'd see the light of day. Teddy was clinging from a branch by only a paw, a look of petrified horror painted clearly on it's furry face, and right below them was Bob, being corner by more cute poisonous mushrooms. Was everything cute in this world evil? A double-edged sword.

A double-edged sword.

THAT'S IT!

"Alright, go on, kill us. As you said, I do have to pay the consequences." Jenny spoke nonchalantly.

Clara, the "Easter bunny" looked mild surprised. "I didn't think you want to surrender that easily. Might I ask what changed your mind?"

Jenny, now that she was thinking about it, was surprised she hadn't realized sooner. What with a talking hamster, world-jumping, the Easter bunny, and golden chickens-there was only one possible answer to this madness.

She was dreaming.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5: Waking up...**

With a deep inhalation of breath, Jenny's last fading images of her dream, the look of rage painted across the Easter bunny's face as she too realized she was just a figment of the imagination, disappeared into the backdrop of her room, doused in gray.

9:34 AM on a Saturday morning. There must've been a thunderstorm earlier, as the steady patter of rain accumulated against her window. She was snugly in bed, her hair an absolute mess, in her home in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts of the United States, of the Earth; not in Easterworld.

Suddenly she snapped up, and grabbing a jacket, headed into the bathroom where a certain hamster was eagerly awaiting her arrival. In silence.

"Hey Teddyyy~~" She cooed, opening the bars of the rainbow-colored cage to refill the now empty bowl of food. "Aren't you the cutest little fatty butt I have ever seeeenn~~! Come here." She scooped the wide-eyed hamster into the bowl of food as it started hoarding the seeds into its cheeks, purposefully avoiding her eyes. Teddy was a shy hamster.

But she wasn't in her dream.

Even now, the whole memory of it was slipping her mind. That was the thing with dreams; they never stayed long and always seemed to change as you thought about them more. So she stopped thinking about it, and just let her mind wander to the soft plushness of her hamster's butt.

She then decided on something she didn't think she'd have the heart to finish.

A story. She'd document the dream so that she could maybe one day publish it for children. It was a long shot, but at least it would be fun in the process.

Besides, she loved writing. It was cathartic and helped set her mind, sometimes tumbling around aimlessly in her skull, into place for a while. But she hadn't written a single story in years, and for that matter, never finished one before.

After getting up, brushing her teeth, settling her hair, and eating breakfast, she got to work. Jenny's dad wanted it to be a children's book, but knowing Jenny-she could never write something so simple. She needed plot and character development, imagery and snappy one-liners.

She did. She finished the story, and reader, you've just finished it, too.


End file.
